Characters

I'm gonna get in trouble for this post.

Lots of writing blogs stress the importance of developing your characters - making them real. Personally I prefer mine (when reading or writing) to be good guys. Tough, Smart, Independent, Adventurous, Funny, Loyal, Good Hearted & Down to Earth.

'Creating' my characters has been a blast, but I might have had an advantage. I got to watch a coupla 'characters' grow up so I used these chuckleheads as inspiration for my story's 'good guys'.




These are my boys a looooonggg time ago. The older of the two is Mike (now 32) & the kid in the chair (probably being tormented) is Chris (now 28). I'm proud to say they've always been best friends. Other than the time Chris (then 2) hit Mike in the head with a doorstop (a stupid looking needlepoint covered brick) they always got along. Hey, it was dark, Mike was in bed & never saw it comin'. I suspect Michael got even..... eventually.




They've always hung out together. If one was in trouble, the other jumped in to help out (or hide the evidence?). I don't think they ever threw each other "under the bus" - despite the bus-colored yellow pants & suspenders in this picture. (They're gonna hate seein' this pic!!!)




Both were very coordinated (NOT a reference to the yellow britches), good at sports, especially baseball. Good hand-eye coordination, made them terrific hitters, but both were ridiculously slow runners. I was faster than they were & I'm probably STILL faster today - even with a bad back.... usin' a cane... wearin' flip flops..... n' givin' 'em a head start. A BIG head start.

Like me, they're in the construction management business. They can read drawings & manage the process of putting things together to end up with a very nice finished product.... unless they're working on LEGOs. LEGOs must be so much more complicated than office buildings.




Today they're all grown up. Whaddya mean you couldn't tell from that last photo?

BAD LATITUDE - A Jack Rackham Adventure

BAD LATITUDE - A Jack Rackham Adventure is finally up for sale. The book was published in November, but my Chicago trip & workload held up the official release. It's finally for sale at www.booklocker.com under the fiction/adventure category.

Here's where it gets tough for me. Marketing. I honestly don't like talking about myself - unless it's something funny. On the business side - making pitches to clients on potential deals involving multi-million dollar construction & development projects is a walk in the park - because that's business - I'm expected to do that & I'm paid for that, but I never mention all of the awards that have come my way for various Medical Centers or Office Complexes or the fact that I built one of the very first 'Green' buildings before 'Green' was cool. Writing about wacky stuff that goes on around here or with my family - no problem - I'm only a part of that, like being the driver in the post about the boots a few weeks back. Explaining that I've written a book for kids, one that's actually pretty good - I'd be more comfortable slamming my hand in a car door.

My friend Mark LaFlamme (super talented author of the books DIRT: An American Campaign, THE PINK ROOM & VEGETATION) tells me I had better get over this in a hurry. He's right of course - & his advice has been invaluable - but I'm still uncomfortable.

My wonderful wife Deb has always been very shy. Everyone that meets her walks away knowing that she's a real sweetheart - a great person, extremely likable. She has battled her shyness on my behalf talking up BAD LATITUDE & now several local stores, including the Florida Park Service & the county tourism centers, have agreed to stock it. In every instance, when she has brought the topic up, I've run off to hide. This morning, she asked why it's not on Facebook & why haven't I blogged about it - the book has been available now for about a week. So, with my tail between my legs, I'm working on this blog post, with sweaty hands & a very red face, wondering if I'll hit the publish button in the end.

In a nutshell, BAD LATITUDE is an adventure story for kids that like books with a fast pace, a mix of history & humor, creepy ghosts and a dash of the old 'I didn't see that comin' factor. The story follows the summer of fifteen-year-old Jack Rackham, the descendant of the pirate Calico Jack Rackam (who will make an appearance) & his friends Kai, Valerie & Talia in my haunted hometown of St Augustine Florida. Since they can't drive yet, they get around using Jack's boat BAD LATITUDE, an incredibly awesome high performance machine given to Jack as a gift from his very wealthy grandparents. Naturally the kids do what all kids do down here - They surf, kiteboard, have beach parties, explore the local attractions & deal with their awkward first 'romances'. When Jack is given a 300-year-old diary that describes a fortune hidden away in the burial grounds of Rattlesnake Island (a real place by the way - 2 miles from my house - all locations in the book are real) he & best friend Kai become obsessed with finding the loot, not realizing that, if successful in their search, they may not escape from the island with their lives. This ultimately forces the choice between wealth & friendship.

One other note - This book is totally clean. There is no profanity, adult situations, drugs, drinking or any behavior that I wouldn't condone for kids. In that sense, it's not "edgy" &, while I was told that "edgy" sells better - I wasn't willing to compromise in this area.

There's an excerpt on my author page (prologue & 1st 2 chapters) - just Google BAD LATITUDE A JACK RACKHAM ADVENTURE & that will take you to my author page at www.booklocker.com. It's also available on Amazon & Barnes & Noble & other websites but they haven't posted the description or excerpt yet - probably not for a week or so.

So that's my first attempt at plugging my own work. In the meantime, RECKLESS ENDEAVOR, my 2nd book, is moving along well & I'm excited with the way it's coming together. Maybe that's part of my problem (that & being a computer-idiot). I'd rather create tall tales than market them - but I'll work on it. Now if I could only figure out how to add links.....

The Back Cover Copy

So you sit down one day & start writing an adventure story for kids. The 1st draft flows along pretty well - just get the thoughts down. Create the characters & give them personalities. Keep the pace up-tempo. Expand this - cut that. Put it away & let it ferment for a bit. Do the homework about the publishing process.

Start re-writing. Tearing it apart. Slap yourself silly wondering "What's up with THAT?" Revise - Revise - Revise. Make sure you're not loaded up with similes or structure problems. Check continuity. Move portions from one part of the story to another. Put it away & let it ferment for a bit. More homework.

Start editing. Check punctuation. Format. Change words around. (There always seems to be a slightly better way to get a point across. A better way to say it.) Line by line - 9, 10, 27 times. You practically know it all by heart. Is it funny enough? Is it scary enough? OK so it's fiction but is it realistic enough? Put it away & let it ferment for a bit. More homework.

Begin editing again. Make final decisions - who are you sending it to. By now the "book" has been read aloud at least 15 times - looking for that odd word or awkward phrase. Getting anxious & frustrated. Another project is already underway & you NEED to put more time in on it. One last time - put it aside to ferment.

Final tweak. Explain the book in 40 words or less - amazingly, it gets the OK. Final tweak then the really this time final tweak & THEN - Write the "hook" - It's the only chance for creating the 2nd impression (after the cover). Can you consolidate the 67,000 words that you've agonized over into .... 250 & make it interesting without giving away too much or turning it into a blatant sales pitch? Write it & change it 20 times. One last look. 4 more changes. The potential reader will look at the cover - if that gets 'im, the book will be flipped over to scan the description on the back. Will they get past the 1st line? The 2nd? The 3rd - before putting it back on the shelf & moving on?

So here it is - The "Hook" for BAD LATITUDE - A Jack Rackham Adventure. You're a kid now. Would you even THINK about opening the book at this point?

The seaside town of St. Augustine is haunted. Everyone knows that.

For fifteen-year-old Jack, a descendant of the notorious pirate Calico Jack, it was supposed to be a relaxing summer of great surfing, exploring the Ancient City and adventures on his very own boat, Bad Latitude. His discovery of a three hundred year old diary changed all of that.

When the secrets of the old book are unraveled, Jack enlists the help of his best friend Kai, and together, they begin the dangerous search for the hidden fortune buried beneath the abandoned burial grounds of Rattlesnake Island. Digging under the light of the full moon, the boys are unaware that a terrifying menace lies hidden in the darkness, determined to prevent their escape. Supernatural guardians of the island are clawing and dragging their way through the snake-infested marsh grass, surrounding the pair, working to create a deadly ambush, while offshore lurks a mysterious ship, shrouded in an eerie green fog, flying the flag of the long dead Calico Jack Rackham.

Before daybreak, Jack and Kai will face a desperate struggle for survival, ultimately choosing between unimaginable wealth and friendship. Will they put their own lives on the line to save one another from the evil that stalks their every move, or will the promise of great riches lead to tragedy and despair?


I left off the author info - nothing interesting there. It's just about me, I'm nobody special, & it's very brief.

Thoughts anyone?

Creative Insults

Thought I would post these - since I'm in a bit of a grumpy, soggy kind of mood during these rainy & windy days.

These insults are from an era when cleverness with words was still valued, before a great portion of the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words.
From David Spiselman

The exchange between Churchill & Lady Astor: She said, "If you were my husband I'd give you poison," and he said, "If you were my wife, I'd drink it."

A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease." "That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

"He had delusions of adequacy."
Walter Kerr

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."
Winston Churchill

"A modest little person, with much to be modest about."
Winston Churchill

"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." Clarence Darrow

"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."
William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway). [Side note from JaxPop - I've never been a Faulkner fan but have enjoyed Hemingway]

"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?"
Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner) [You tell 'im Ernie]

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it."
Moses Hadas [Sounds a bit like a literary agent]

"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know."
Abraham Lincoln [2nd favorite]

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it."
Mark Twain [My favorite]

"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends."
Oscar Wilde

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend.... if you have one."
George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... if there is one."
Winston Churchill, in response.

"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here."
Stephen Bishop

"He is a self-made man and worships his creator."
John Bright

"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial."
Irvin S. Cobb

"He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others."
Samuel Johnson

"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up."
Paul Keating

"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure."
Jack E. Leonard

"He has the attention span of a lightning bolt."
Robert Redford

"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork."
Mae West

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go."
Oscar Wilde

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination."
Andrew Lang

"He has Van Gogh's ear for music."
Billy Wilder

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."
Groucho Marx

How Stuff Ends Up In A Story

How does a nice B&B (Casa de Suenos) like this get turned into part of a story? It does in Chapter 17 of my first completed manuscript. The chapter deals with a romantic carriage ride enjoyed by soon to be 16-year-old Jack (the main character) & his girlfriend Talia during twilight in St Augustine.

Deb & I went for a carriage ride Thanksgiving night a year & a half ago after a nice dinner at 'The Columbia'. It was a fantastic, mid 70 degree evening with a light breeze & lots of stars. The city is always lit up from Thanksgiving through January. They call it 'The Nights of Lights' & literally every building & bridge is covered with little white lights - millions of them. It's quite awesome. I was writing Bad Latitude at the time & during that holiday weekend, decided to make the ride part of the story. This B&B was one of many sites that caught my eye so I included it, along with a healthy dose of pure baloney. Here's an excerpt that shows how a 30 second pause became a small part of a very tall tale .....

Even Dumpy (the horse) understood it was a ride not to be rushed and he clip-clopped through the quiet streets as if it was the last fare of a long night. Fifteen minutes into the tour, Jack asked Elayne (the carriage driver) to pull to the curb as he pointed toward an ornate house serving as one of St Augustine’s elegant bed and breakfast accommodations.

“Do you see those large windows with the circular tops across the front?” asked Jack. Talia nodded and rolled her eyes, knowing a story was on the way. Elayne held back gently on the reins and shifted sideways in her seat. She wasn't bashful about eavesdropping and decided to do so comfortably.

“More than one hundred and fifty years ago this building was used as a funeral home. In its’ heyday, it was one of the few mortuaries where bodies were embalmed before burial. Can you guess the reason for the large windows?”

Talia’s eyebrows arched. “Don’t tell me they did the embalming in front of the windows so people could watch.”

“No, but you’re close. Elayne, do you know?”

“I think so, but let's hear your version, if you don’t mind.”

Jack continued. “Because the mortician was able to preserve the bodies using the newfangled method, he displayed his handiwork right there in those windows. Once the body was prepared, it was dressed up real nice, make up was applied, and the corpse was placed in a propped-up casket with the lid removed. It was left to stand, facing the street, for as long as two whole weeks. Neighbors would gather to pay their respects and admire the undertaker's artistry. The funeral director always set the burial date in order to get the maximum use out of his clients. It was an early form of advertising, paid for by allowing the family a discount for his services, based on the number of days the stiff remained, uh... useful.”

Talia giggled. “Did they post a sign below the dead people saying ‘This could be you’?”

Elayne laughed and added, “They did put price tags at the bottom of the, uhm... displays. Helped to hide the bare feet. Shoes didn't get wasted in those days. If someone was buried with their boots on, you'd better believe they'd have been dug up by morning an' left in the box with just their naked little toes poking up.”

"When did the undertaker or director decide on a burial date?" asked Talia.

"Once the fingers started turning black and curling away from the body," said Jack.

"That's so gross. You're making that up!"

Elayne turned to face forward. "Sorry kid. He's telling the truth, but forgot to mention that if the undertaker didn't get the embalming just right, purplish patches would spread across the dead guy's face and then the little show was over. Guess it was sorta like fruit going bad, without the little flies."

Talia felt her stomach churn as she buried her face in the side of Jack's chest. She was trying to force the image out of her mind.

Jack winked at Elayne as they moved away from the curb. "The fly thing was a nice touch. I'll have to remember to use it next time."

So, I guess it's kinda strange - how my mind works, that is. There really is a story hidden away just about everywhere. Even in a short pause during a peaceful ride.

BAD LATITUDE

IT'S ENOUGH TO MAKE YA START DRINKIN'



I like stories that have a great pace, include plot twists, lots of surprises & characters with memorable personalities. Dialogue needs to be crisp, natural &, when possible, funny, off the wall and unpredictable. Lofty goals I suppose, but why set the bar at waist level?

One of my chores is to sum up my completed YA manuscript of 26 chapters (plus prologue) in 40 words or less. I think I finished it last night - 37 words. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't. Since I don't belong to a writing or critique group - I'll have to wing it. Get the essence of the story across without getting bogged down in details or backstory. Grab attention without misleading. Whew!!! It really makes you machete through the story (characters, twists, description, backdrop, dialogue, & humor) to find THE POINT of it. Thought provoking & challenging to say the least.

As usual I saved the draft to let it percolate a bit before rushing to press. Today, while reading a blog that I visit frequently, I decided to post the summation to see if I (a) get any response at all (b) get any helpful criticism (c) lose the few readers / commenters that my blog gets. If everyone HATES it, go to my latest myspace blog where I have posted a BonJovi video (myspace/jaxbel).

So.... here goes....

Are you ready???

Are you sure???

Countdown .... 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 ....

Really here goes (shuts eyes tightly & reaches for mouse to click publish...)

Did I mention it's Young Adult....Not Steinbeck????

Did I mention it's called 'BAD LATITUDE' & the story is based in St Augustine????

That's it - here goes....

Fifteen-year-olds put surfing on hold after uncovering an ancient secret that could lead to unimaginable wealth or a tragic and untimely end. Their quest becomes a dangerous obsession, ultimately forcing them to choose between fortune and friendship.

I hope that wasn't too painful......

By the way - That's not me in the picture - I'm not looking for sympathy after all.

Word Addiction

I'm obsessed with words - written ones anyway.

No matter where I go I have a book. At the first pause in whatever I'm doing, especially when I'm waiting for something or someone - I read. This gets expensive since I consume 2 or 3 books per week, on average. At night it's a review of my favorite blogs (I have cut down a bit) - sometimes I comment, sometimes not.

Then there's writing - My second MS is cracking along & I keep tweaking & polishing my first (there's always something to change - even if it's subtle - see 1st picture) & have several ideas scribbled out for others. The beach is one of my favorite editing (& reading) spots. My biggest problem is quitting at a reasonable hour to get some sleep - I get up at 5AM.

I also like to "write" messages in the sand for the kids & grandkids - take pictures & then email them. (Deb likes to spell everything out with little shells - I don't have that kind of patience.)

I first suspected that this was becoming a sickness when I started powerwashing messages onto the driveway for Jack & Belly. And then there's my blog - which isn't read by too many folks - but that's OK.

The Storyteller

My youngest son was born a few weeks before my grandfather passed away. My grandson Jack was born a few weeks before my dad passed away. Strange how history repeats. I hope my grandson waits a loooonnnnggg time to have kids. So here I am - JaxPop posting something about 'Dave's Pop'. (Dave would be me. What... you thought JaxPop was my real name???) Ahem...

The picture at the top of this post truly represents the beginning of my love for stories. It's an old watercolor from 1898 in a battered frame. I was just a wee lad when this was painted. Ahem... This picture hangs in a large closet in the master bedroom sitting room - where many of my books are shelved (hundreds). As much as I love this old painting, it ain't makin' it to the hallowed walls to mix with Debs 'tropicasual' decor.

It was given to me in 1980, just after 'Pop' was buried. When I was a kid, I stayed at my grandparent's house at least one weekend every month. This picture hung in his room (next to a cut out Santa that I 'colored' when I was about 3 - sentimental old codger he was). My grandparents had separate rooms - someday I'll post about that happy relationship. (Hint - it's funny.)

Pop was from a large family - 15 kids altogether & I think he was number 10 out of the brood. School wasn't a big priority in those days so at the tender age of 9 he went to work, in the coal mines no less, to help pay the bills &, I guess, to make it easier for great grandpa & grandma to continue adding to the population of the Pennsylvania Dutch community. The point is, even without the education, he was a magnificent storyteller.

It became a game. Whenever I visited, I would ask what the big guy was saying to the little chubby guy. Pop had the most twinkly blue eyes & he always started his tales with a squint. (Why do I remember that?) He never disappointed. His stories would go on for nearly an hour, & I didn't budge an inch. He loved it when I would hit him with questions because he could keep elaborating. In the end, I suppose, I've decided that the tall guy in the picture was & would forever be 'the boss'.

Years later, I started making up stories to tell my boys (I posted about this before) & a couple years ago, I started writing. A key chapter in my completed YA MS incorporates my grandfather as a character, making him the one ultimately responsible for acquiring a certain diary & map, both integral components to my tall tale based here in St Augustine. Thanks Pop - for the tales & the inspiration.

Hopefully my stories will do 'Dave'sPop' proud.

BEARley Motivated

It's been a almost 2 weeks since I sat down & really did any writing. Hopefully that will change tonight. Seems like there's always something else to do or I just procrastinate & never get going. This weekend - we enjoyed the beach on Saturday - it was a perfect day - & yesterday just chilled out at home.

I'm going to make a real effort this week to get motivated & build some momentum.

'Just Do It'

I like to take advantage of certain TV nights (American Idol? gimme a break!) & write or edit. I started the night with the best of intentions but allowed myself to be drawn into visiting some of my favorite blog sites. Now it's almost 10PM & I've accomplished nothing. The whole day was one of those kind of blah, torturously long, boring days - nothin' much goin' on. To start with, I overslept. Only a handful of guys showed up at the job, no visitors, felt lousy this afternoon. I was stressed out for absolutely no reason & kinda crashed when I got home (OK I DID read for an hour). Maybe I'm just getting lazy (or old). My book (the title keeps changing - another source of annoyance) is soooooo damn close to being 110% but I can't seem to make that last push to wrap up my part of the editing. It's been like that for 2 weeks.

Guess I'll have to lock myself away for 2 days &, as Mr Nike would say, 'Just Do It'.